333 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
27 Years
Female
Student-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Charlotte Fujioka on Jul 13, 2019 2:34:22 GMT -4
541 words 
Charlotte was fully convinced that flying coach was a legalized form of torture. It didn’t help that airplanes already put her on-edge, but… planes weren’t designed for people her size. Ceilings were in optimal cranium-smacking levels, seats were prime for her too-long knees. She did what she could to take up as little space as possible, at the greatest convenience to those around her. For example, in the dead of summer, she wore a hoodie, to protect any potential seat-neighbors from getting pricked by one of her numerous spikes.
Additionally, the prawn was always wriggling in her seat, trying to find a comfortable position without occupying more space than she’d paid for. Ultimately, she’d admit defeat and turn herself sideways, her back flush with the side of the airplane, and her spindly legs encroaching well into her neighbor’s territory. Thankfully, her neighbor (and valiant occupant of the center seat, was none other than her beloved, burly Brit.
“Sorry, Theo…” she’d murmured, a little lamely, “I just need to, erm, stretch a bit.”
Perhaps “beloved” was a little too audacious of a way to put it—in the two months since their spontaneous camping trip, things had been… stilted, between the teens. They never spoke of the kiss that night, or how they’d twined themselves together before drifting-off to sleep. They’d never revisited the soft words that were passed between the two of them.
They weren’t on bad terms, heavens no, but—things were… complicated. They did couple-ish things, at least Charlotte thought they were couple-ish things. They hugged, Theodore let her play with his hair… sometimes they took naps together or watched movies… but these were things that she and Jack did, too, and he was just a friend, beyond a shadow of a doubt.
But Jack had never spent the night with Charlotte.
And Jack had never taken Charlotte across an entire continent to meet his parents over Summer Break.
Even if the all evidence was pointing to a very obvious answer, however, the prawn couldn’t be too sure. Like, maybe Theo’s parents always allowed him to take one friend home with him? These thoughts burbled up naturally all throughout the flight. Mostly when things were quiet, and the prawn’s mind wandered—but they’d simmer down unanswered when something else snagged her attention. Eventually the spiraling questions would fade to grey, and Charlotte would drift into a shallow and unsatisfying sleep.
A light shaking of her arm, and a murmurous voice in her ear, fished Charlotte out of the murk of an unexpected sleep. The prawn startled slightly, inhaling as she sat up, lavender eyes looking for something to cleave onto.
They cleaved onto Theodore. He had to have been the one shaking her arm, and speaking to her in a low voice. A groggy smile pinched at the corner of her eyes.
“I didn’t think I’d… fall asleep like that,” she slurred, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with her free hand. The other had, apparently, looped itself under Theo’s arm, and rested itself on his forearm. The prawn made no attempt at freeing this hand.
“What’s happening?” the prawn asked her companion, her lavender eyes skimming over the tops of the neighboring seats as if searching for clues.
۞ |
|
104 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
"The Pugilist"
Student-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Theodore Grundlewood on Jul 16, 2019 13:32:52 GMT -4
While Charlotte struggled to be physically comfortable in her seat, Theodore struggled to keep his heart from bursting out of his chest with his crush beside him. He had chickened out of confessing on their camping trip due to a sudden surprise in Charlie’s choice of words, but even if he knew he was going to be rejected, he had to take his shot anyway. Even though it seemed a bit rude to do it while she couldn’t escape in a foreign country, he was determined to tell her his feelings before their trip ended. Just...not right now. Right now he was struggling to keep his composure- a futile fight that would be over the moment she put her legs on his lap, apologizing about needing to stretch. ”It’s no problem” he lied with a smile, straightening his back and keeping his posture stiff as a statue, trying to keep his arms and hands as far away from her legs as possible. Breathe- he had to breathe.
They hadn’t talked about their kiss at the camp since then- which only worsened Theodore’s fear that it was just a normal act in America and something Charlotte had done plenty of times before. She seemed so surprised that she was his first kiss- surely she must be much more experienced than he was. In preparation, he’d done a little research online about kissing, though unfortunately none of it applied to the person he held affection for in question- and he didn’t think that ‘kissing shrimp’ was something that should be on his search history. Still, next time he wouldn’t just let her do all the work- he’d do his best to return her gesture, even if it was sloppy and awkward.
As he turned to face her once more, he realized that she’d already drifted off into a light sleep. Letting out a sigh of relief, he faced forward and put something on with subtitles so he could have the volume off. Due to the nature of his current predicament, he was unable to sleep despite how long the flight was until towards the end of their journey. As his eyes finally started to shut, the pilot announced that they’d arrived at their destination. Putting an arm on his best friend’s shoulder, he jostled her awake and whispered that they were in England now.
Exiting the plane, they found themselves amidst a large crowd. Theodore’s parents actually spotted Charlotte before him thanks to her unique appearance and large stature. His parents mirrored them in a way, though his father was the much taller one with his mother being significantly shorter. George Grundlewood stood tall at precisely 6 feet tall- which still put him a few inches before everyone’s favorite shrimp. He had short, black hair which was parted at the front. His mother, Mary Grundlewood was only around 5 foot 2 and had long, light brown hair that draped down to the middle of her back. While his mother wore a simple cardigan and a long skirt, something relatively casual, his father had dressed in a brown suit with dress pants and fancy shoes, just in case this Charlotte in question was as close to Theodore as he expected. Thankfully, the burly brit had the foresight to send his folks a picture of his friend ahead of time, preventing them from having an undesirable reaction when they first saw her arrive. Her appearance was still strange to them- something they’d have to get used to- but they were able to keep from showing any sort of surprise on their faces or having any unwanted reactions.
His father would call out and wave to them, making it easy for Theodore to find them and bring Charlotte over. For whatever reason, Steven wasn’t with them- something the boy was thankful for. Picture aside, he didn’t trust his oddball little brother not to embarrass him in front of Charlotte. ”My boy is finally home!” his mother called out, wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug. ”It’s great to see you again” he replied, returning her hug in kind and planting a quick kiss on the top of her head. Soon she’d release her grip, George stepping forward and giving him an acknowledging nod which he returned in kind. ”Son” he said. ”Father” Theo returned before stepping back and gesturing his arms towards his friend, as if presenting an award: ”This is Charlotte” he explained, introducing her to his parents. Since he was already moved forward, George was the first to greet her, extending a hand to grasp hers. ”Nice to meet you, miss Charlotte. I’m Theodore’s father, but you can just call me George” he said with a playful wink before letting out a hearty laugh. It was easy to see who the boy took after.
Word Count: 793 |
|
333 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
27 Years
Female
Student-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Charlotte Fujioka on Jul 18, 2019 15:37:50 GMT -4
541 words ft. theodore grundlewood
Charlotte endured the plane’s landing with a firm clasp on Theo’s arm, squinting against sleepiness and the impending panic. Landing was her least favorite part. She hated the sudden acceleration and the bouncing of the plane upon the tarmac. They endured the usual disembarking procedures, taxiing into a gate, coming to a stop, the traffic jams of getting of of the plane. Charlotte awkwardly removed her hoodie, now free of the tiny seat, to reveal a modest and strangely feminine outfit. Even if she was uncertain of where she stood with Theodore, she wanted to make a good first impression with his parents.
She wore a pair of jeans and a black tank top with a rather feminine, flowing cut to it. And, of course, a black surgical mask to preserve some sense of modesty. Charlotte gathered her carry-on bag into her arms. She would trail close behind Theodore as they disembarked, using her additional height to skim over the heads of others. She wasn’t sure who she was looking for, however, despite having a fantastic vantage point, so she let Theodore take the lead.
Someone noticed Theodore first-- that had to be Mom. The prawn watched with subdued interest, and an equally subdued expression, allowing the greetings to unfold as they did. Although the Fujioka’s were a kind and loving couple, they weren’t necessarily so demonstrative with their adoptive daughter. For that matter, no one had ever been that demonstrative with Charlotte. Not “Father”, not her biological parents. The overall effect was mild discomfort, and an uncertainty of whether she should watch or look away. The prawn chose to look away, assessing that as the most polite thing to do. Give the family their privacy.
She only snapped to attention when Theodore introduced her, her antennae almost twitching up, alert. She kept them flat, running a hand over the crown of her head before waving back uncertainly.
“H-how do you do?” the prawn mustered, bowing faintly. God, her mouth was dry. It felt like her heart was trying to clamber its way through her throat. And why did she bow? This wasn’t Japan! Ah, this was weird.
Without missing a beat, Mr. Grundlewood stepped forward to introduce himself. He extended a hand. Charlotte met the gesture with her own hand, though her grip was by no means firm.
“Charlie is fine,” she said modestly, “The pleasure’s mine, Mr. Gru- uuhh- George.”
The man winked and laughed, full of mirth. Boy, he was jolly. And not too short, though… still short by the prawn’s standards. The prawn’s expression twitched into an uncertain smile, before she redirected her attention to Mrs. Grundlewood. It wouldn’t be fair to just greet Mr. Grundlewood.
“It’s w-wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Grundlewood,” Charlotte said mildly, trying to maintain a friendly expression as she extended a hand, “Th-thank you so much for having me.”
However the greeting would go, she’d step back once greetings were exchanged, looking towards Theodore for some sort of nonverbal cue-- did that go well? Unwell? She was no good with parents. Papa Kang had only really liked her because they both knew tech, Charlotte was convinced… she had nothing in common with Mr. and Mrs. Grundlewood, besides warm regards for their son…
۞ |
|
104 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
"The Pugilist"
Student-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Theodore Grundlewood on Jul 25, 2019 13:22:48 GMT -4
”Charlie, a pleasure” he said, giving a curt, awkward version of a bow in jest to her earlier greeting. ”Theo’s told me a lot about you, though I’m still surprised he went all the way out to Japan and brought back an American friend! U.A must be really famous to have people from all over” he mused, making an effort to relate to their world. For the sake of keeping away from trouble, George had always encouraged Theodore to hide his quirk back home. Now that he was actively striving to be a hero and went to a school full of other quirkers like him, he wanted to try his best to relate to them- even if he wasn’t that great at it. ”So what do you guys do? You learn how to like, fight and rescue people and...whatnot?” he began to ramble before Theodore cleared his throat, signalling him to please stop before it became too embarrassing.
What the boy hadn’t realized however, was that his mother was about to make things far more awkward than his father ever could. ”We’re happy to have you love! I’ve always wanted a daughter~” she responded in a cheery tone, wrapping her arms around Charlotte’s spiny shell without a second thought. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to poke her body into anywhere that would hurt as she wrapped the enormous prawn in a hug as best she could. ”M-mother!” he called out, his face redder than it's ever been, ”It’s not, I mean we’re, we aren’t like…” he mumbled, unable to complete a sentence in his current state. Thankfully, his father came to the rescue with a swift but firm pat to the boy’s back, snapping him out of his stupor. He’d wrap one arm around Theodore and another around Charlotte’s shoulders, if he could and if she let him, ”Let’s get you two back to the house so you can rest up. I’m sure the flight was long and exhausting- we can head out for ice cream after a quick nap.” Letting out a sigh of relief, Theodore answered: ”Sounds like a plan. That okay with you, Char?” he asked, turning his attention to her.
Once they had confirmation from their son’s guest, Mr. and Mrs. Grundlewood would lead the two back over to their car, a black SUV, and headed home. They’d made a point to land near Oxford rather than in London proper so that they wouldn’t have a long drive back to the house. Theodore had plans to take Charlotte to a few things in London today, so it was better if they rested up before taking the train into the city.
After a nap to shake off the jet lag, the two headed on a train into the city. The ride lasted an hour or two, but thankfully they had left early and were able to keep each other company. Soon enough they arrived in London at noon sharp. The city was filled with tall buildings and all manner of attractions, lights keeping the atmosphere bright despite the fog that almost always seemed to loom overhead. The streets were packed with people headed somewhere with purpose in their step. ”Here- you don’t want to get lost in the crowd” he called, reaching a hand out to grasp Charlotte’s. Whether she accepted his offer or not, he’d lead them over to an ice cream parlor tucked away between two larger buildings. There were a few parents standing around with their kids, as well as some couples and groups of friends, but compared to the rest of the city it was fairly quiet. ”Figured we could stop in for a quick treat” he explained, tossing a small grin towards his friend.
Word Count: 621 |
|
333 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
27 Years
Female
Student-Rank Quirk:
|
Post by Charlotte Fujioka on Jul 30, 2019 0:48:27 GMT -4
768 words ft. theodore grundlewood
The awkwardness was mutual-- she had bowed, as a force of habit, and Mr. Grundlewood bowed back, before continuing to grill the prawn for details. Charlotte couldn't even remember his name, even though they'd just been introduced, her brain descending into a confused, white fuzz.
"Ah, I am-" the prawn started. She paused. She'd lived in America her whole life, and in California as far as she knew. So calling her Californian wasn't totally inaccurate... but she'd been adopted by a Japanese family, so she was Japanese too. It wasn't worth correcting him. Thankfully Mr. Grundlewood changed gears, to something that the prawn was more than comfortable discussing.
"I am actually a Support student," Charlie explained, "I create technology that helps heroes fight and rescue people more... uh... efficiently?"
Just when the mental haze began to melt away, it was brought back with brutal force. The prawn looked towards Mrs. Grundlewood, and towards Theodore, in confusion?
"A daughter?"
Apparently the mere suggestion was enough to send Theodore into a tails[in, which sent Charlotte into a tailspin. They were trying to adopt her?!
"I'm very sorry for the misunderstanding!" the prawn interrupted, her face hot, her alto voice breaking, "I was already adopted."
Was that Theodore's aim the whole time? To get her adopted into their family? Maybe Charlotte hadn't been clear about the fact that she was "adopted" and made it sound like she was still in search of a family. The Fujioka's were good people. Charlie didn't want to disrespect them by jumping to a new family.
A noise escaped Mrs. Grundlewood. But before the prawn could glimpse her expression, Mr. Grundlewood swooped in to spare the two embarrassed teens. She nodded in agreement, following the posse to their vehicle.
The drive home was brief. The pair unloaded their belongings from the car, settled in their respective rooms, and slept for most of the morning. When she awoke in a room that wasn't her own, the prawn realized that the whole thing had, in fact, been real. For a spell of time, she laid atop the bed, staring at the ceiling, her brain trying to make sense of the already-confusing arrival. A daughter? Was that what Charlie was like to Theodore? A sister? Maybe he was embarrassed because he hadn't wanted to disappoint the prawn. He was trying to be polite, but Mrs. Grundlewood caught right to the quick. Ah well. When she heard Theodore moving in the neighboring room, she roused herself from her bed. After assembling a few items for the day, the two then set out for London.
It was all foreign, yet all familiar. Trains were trains regardless of where one was. Cramped and loud and filled with people. The sky was the same, the countryside was the same, and London-- reminiscient of Oakland. A big and bustling city.
Charlotte kept close to Theodore, nearly stepping on his heel when he came to a halt, turning to offer her his hand. The prawn smiled and clasped it, giving it a squeeze. Even if she was just a sister to him, he didn't seem like a terrible brother.
"More like... I don't want to lose you in the crowd," she teased, a sly smile crossing her expression. Though as a whole, the English people that rushed by were taller than your average Japanese train-rider, it did not change the fact that the prawn towered over most.
Her gaze remained trained on the back of Theodore's head as he moved decisively through the crowd. Soon, they broke free, navigating the winding streets towards a slightly less-bustling avenue. Dwarfed between two massive, brownstone buildings was a quaint, white ice-cream parlor. It was very cute, Charlotte had to admit.
"S-sure," the prawn said, brightly. It was no mystery that she loved ice cream. It'd be a perfect way to help them unwind from their flight, regain some sense of normalcy in their world. The two approached the door of the parlor and, as they came to the door, the prawn reached past Theodore and pushed the door open for him.
When the two stepped inside, they were greeted by a modern space that seemed contrary to the rustic facade. At least it was colder inside though-- the fog and the heat had joined forces to make the afternoon disgustingly muggy. The air conditioned cafe was a blessing.
"So, Theo," the prawn hummed, looking over his shoulder at the cases of frozen confections, "You're the local expert. What's the really, really good stuff?"
There were a few people in line, which meant that they had some time to decide.
۞ |
|
348 Posts
EP
EXP
Total
"Busty"
|
Post by Busty on Sept 6, 2019 18:52:37 GMT -4
|
|
